Criminal
by Seth Bramwell
Summary: When Jessie and James are split up by Giovanni due to inefficiency, how will they get by... and back together? NEW ADDITION: Chapter two has been added, and contains a lost scene that I left out of the orginal story!
1. Criminal

Disclaimer: All Pokemon characters are copyrighted by Nintendo. No permission has   
been given to use their names. Exceptions: The characters of Team Rocket agents Billy,   
Annie, Reuben, Wyatt, Hollie, and Joanna are my creations. The song "Criminal" is   
copyrighted by Fiona Apple. No permission has been given to use the lyrics. P.S.-   
Despite the mention of it in this story, to the best of my knowledge there is no branch of   
Team Rocket that wears red uniforms. Likewise, there is no such thing as the Mega   
Balls described in the story (at least I don't believe there is).  
  
Criminal  
  
By Allan North  
  
Chapter One - The Split-Up  
  
Jessie and James waited nervously outside the boss's office. It certainly hadn't   
been the first time they had been called in to see him, but this time there was an ominous   
feeling in the air, as if something very bad was about to happen. At least, that's the way   
that Jessie felt. James stood in the hall, staring at the wall across from him and   
absentmindedly twirling that ever-present rose between his fingers. Jessie looked at him   
and wondered how he could not feel the tension in the air. Thoughts ran through her mind   
as she looked at him, thoughts of how much she cared about him, even if he was a bit of   
a fool at times. She looked down at the slowly turning rose loosely held in his limp hand,   
and idly wondered to herself if James ever managed to get a rose with thorns still attached.   
  
Shaking off her thoughts, Jessie shifted her view from James to Meowth, who as   
always had a look of casual indifference on his face. He sat on the floor and leaned   
against the wall, banging a paddle ball back and forth. How could these two just stand   
around as if they were waiting for a bus? Was she the only full of tension and a very bad   
feeling of apprehension?   
  
Giovanni's door suddenly opened, and they heard the familiar commanding voice   
call them in. Jessie held her head high despite her nervousness and walked in, followed by   
James, and finally by Meowth, who yawned as he considered bringing the paddle ball in   
with him. He thought better of it at the last moment, and set it down quietly in the   
hallway.   
  
The trio approached the desk where Giovanni sat glaring at them. His eyes darted   
from Jessie to James to Meowth as he sized them up. After what seemed an eternity, he   
barked to them, "Report."  
  
Jessie and James looked at their boss, confused. "Report?" Jessie repeated.   
"Report on what?"  
  
Giovanni scowled at them. "On your mission, stupid. What is your progress   
toward getting that Pikachu?"   
  
Jessie couldn't help but notice that although James was remaining silent, he didn't   
seem quite as nervous as he usually was around the boss. How he pulled that one off she   
would never know. Though she tried not to let her tough girl exterior crack in the least,   
she knew that she was shaking like a leaf in the wind inside. "Um, well.. " she began.   
"No progress as of yet, sir, except that we've been tracking it very closely."  
  
Giovanni was not pleased. His hand clenched into a fist as he glared at them.  
  
"Uh. But. But I'm sure we'll be able to catch him very soon." Jessie finished,   
trying her best to sound hopeful. She looked over to James and Meowth for support.   
"Isn't that right, guys?" she asked, trying not to sound desperate.  
  
"Oh, sure." Meowth said. "Real soon"  
  
James nodded silently.   
  
Giovanni looked at them again with ice in his stare. "I see." he stated in an angry   
tone of voice. "Gee, boss, no progress yet, but we've been watching it closely" he   
mimicked. "Do you really think I care if you've been watching it? I'm not paying you to   
watch it, I'm paying you to catch it!" He said, not bothering to conceal his rage.   
  
Jessie could only look back at Giovanni humbly. "We're trying our best, sir..."   
she began.  
  
"Oh, are you?" Giovanni said angrily. "Do you two realize that you are the only   
team to not bring me anything new in months? Butch and Cassidy brought me a flock of   
20 Spearows just last week. Wyatt and Hollie brought me 15 Kakunas- quite an   
accomplishment I might add- that will grow into wonderful Beedrills. Even Reuben and   
Joanna, new as they are, managed to catch 5 Persians for me." Meowth growled slightly   
at the mention of his evolved form. Giovanni ignored him. "But what do I have from you   
three?" he continued. "The assurance that you're following Pikachu closely." He looked   
at them, shooting daggers through the air.  
  
Jessie shot a look over at James, who was still yet to say a word. He was looking   
more nervous, but was still not daring to say anything. This wasn't like him, even around   
the boss. What was going on? She looked at him with desperation in her eyes. Why   
wasn't he saying anything? He seemed to notice that she was looking at him, and looked   
over at her for the first time since they had entered the office. His eyes held a sad look,   
and Jessie noticed it, if only for a second. James' mouth started to open, but Giovanni's   
voice broke what ever thought was in his head and he turned back toward the boss.  
  
"I don't think the problem is in either one of you." Giovanni said, placing his   
hands together in front of him. "I think it's in the team of you two. There have been   
reports about you two... and I can tell from those reports that you two are not functioning   
to Team Rocket standards for field agents."  
Jessie's mouth dropped open. She was sure she knew what was coming. She   
started to breathe quickly, wanting only to bolt out of the office before her worst fear   
could be confirmed.  
  
"Therefore," Giovanni continued, "I'm splitting up this team. You two will go   
with different partners, and neither of you are to go near that Pikachu again."  
  
Jessie's mouth dropped open. "But- but sir.... please... James and I have been a   
team for so long..."  
  
Giovanni's anger finally boiled over. "A team that doesn't function is not a team!"   
he roared. "You two will meet up with your new partners tomorrow. Jessie, you will be   
teamed with a new agent named Billy. James, you will be teamed with an agent named   
Annie."  
  
Meowth was still in shock from the announcement. "What about me?" he asked.   
  
"You will stay here." Giovanni stated.  
  
For a moment, Meowth was happy. Was he going back to his old life as   
Giovanni's favorite? "I am?" he asked with a smile.   
  
"Yes." Giovanni replied. "My Persians need someone to play with." Giovanni   
grinned coldly as Meowth's smile dropped.   
  
Jessie was still trying to cope with the news. She looked at James, who had   
dropped his rose and was just looking sadly at the ground, not bothering to retrieve the   
flower. She decided to try a pleading tactic. "Sir?" she asked humbly.  
  
"What?" Giovanni replied, annoyed that they were still here asking him questions.  
  
"What if we were to catch Pikachu in a week? Could we stay together then?"  
  
"No!" Giovanni snapped. "You two were reassigned. Butch and Cassidy will be   
taking over the pursuit of Pikachu, and neither of you two are going to step in and screw   
it up!"  
  
"But..." Jessie began.  
  
"That is final, Jessica." Giovanni stated.  
  
James lifted his head and looked at Giovanni desperately. "Sir..."  
  
"No. Don't even bother asking. Just get out. All of you." Giovanni said, and   
started to read a paper on his desk.  
  
For a moment, they were all too stunned to move. Giovanni looked up from his   
paper. "Why are you still here?" he snapped. "You have been dismissed. Get out!"  
  
Jessie, James, and Meowth turned to leave slowly. James retrieved his rose, a   
tear forming in the corner of his eyes as he picked it up and quickly walked out. Jessie   
followed him, unable to believe that James had left without her. Meowth followed Jessie   
angrily, stomping out of the office.  
  
Chapter Two - The Wedge  
  
Once the door had closed behind them, the trio stopped in the hall and Jessie   
slumped against a wall. She was in utter disbelief. James turned to look at her, and saw   
something that he very rarely saw- tears streaming from Jessie's eyes. He walked over to   
her and put his arms around her cautiously.  
  
"Oh, James," she sobbed, "How could this happen? How could we be split up?"   
She looked up at James, hoping to find the answers in his eyes as she had so many times   
before, even if she had never told him that.   
  
James just looked at her sadly. "I don't know, Jess." He replied softly. "But it'll   
be all right. you'll see."  
  
Jessie's eyes welled with tears again, and she buried her face in his sleeve as she   
continued to sob. "Who could have been making reports about us? We try so hard.   
and we don't have any enemies in Team Rocket. Not even Cassidy would be cold   
enough to do this." Her words broke off as she continued to cry uncontrollably. James   
could only hold her and try to comfort her. He had known that the split would hit her   
hard, but he had no idea it would be this bad.   
  
Meanwhile, Meowth was angrily pacing in a circle. "Oh, quit your whining." He   
snapped. "At least you two still get to be agents. I gotta stay here and play court jester to   
amuse his stupid Persians!" He suddenly noticed his paddle ball lying where he had set it   
before entering Giovanni's office, and gave it a hard kick. It flew through the air and hit   
Giovanni's door with a loud bang. From inside, they heard the growl of an angry   
Giovanni demanding to know what that noise was. Not wanting to make Giovanni any   
angrier, they quickly darted down the hall and around the corner.  
  
Jessie stopped and started to cry again. "I think we could all use something to   
eat." James said, unsure of what else to say. Jessie nodded, and the tree started to walk   
toward the elevator to go to the headquarters cafeteria.  
  
The cafeteria was about half full today, with Rockets in black, white, and even   
the occasional red uniforms scarfing down food between missions. Jessie and James each   
bought a soda from the vending machine and sat down at a table in the corner, with   
Meowth still fuming. They looked around at the others in the room, and realized that   
nobody looked half as down as they did. At one table sat Butch and Cassidy, Cassidy   
eating a salad and Butch puffing away on a cigarette. At another table, Mondo sat alone,   
trying to scarf down a sandwich as he looked at his beeping pager. Across the room,   
Reuben and Joanna were just getting up to walk out, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
Jessie slumped in her seat, just wanting to keep her head down and not be noticed   
by anyone, especially Cassidy. God, if Cassidy knew what was happening... well, there   
was no knowing what she'd do.  
  
James looked at her with a mix of sadness and pity on his face. Jessie just looked   
down at her cup of soda and watched the bubbles rise. Finally, Jessie looked up to face   
James. The look of sadness still remained, but it was now accompanied by a look of   
anger. "I swear, James, if I ever find out who's responsible for this, I'll destroy them....   
they'll be so sorry they ever tried to mess with us! Hey, do you think it could have been   
Ash and those twerps?"  
  
James shook his head. "I don't think so. How would they know how to contact   
the boss, anyway?" he replied.  
  
"You're right." Jessie replied, the wheels in her mind turning. "Had to be another   
Rocket, but who? Butch? Cassidy? Reuben? Wyatt? Hollie? Joanna?" One by one,   
Jessie ran over the names in her mind, but knew that none of them could have been   
responsible for this. She idly even considered Mondo, but knew that despite some of his   
faults and over-zealous nature, he would never split up his two heroes. Finally, her anger   
and frustration hit the point where she could take it no more, and she just looked up at   
James again with her sad eyes.   
  
It was more than James could take. "Jess..." he began. Jessie's eyes locked on   
his, hoping he would have the answer, the solution, the way out of all this. "I know   
who's been submitting those reports. I know who's gone to Giovanni."  
  
Jessie's eyes shot wide open. Why hadn't James told her this before? Meowth's   
ears perked up as well, as he stared up at James. As soon as he found out who it was that   
had done it, he had a special delivery of some painful fury swipes planned for that   
person...   
  
"Who was it, James?" Jessie asked, her eyes narrowing in anger. Beside her,   
Meowth popped his razor-sharp claws out into the open position and smiled malevolently.  
  
James swallowed hard. How could he tell her the truth? He looked at her, and   
said, "Jess- Jessica, it was me." The words burned as he watched her reaction.   
  
Jessie's mouth dropped open, and her tightly narrowed eyes went wide again.   
Meowth was so shocked he fell right off his chair.   
  
"James? How could you?" Jessie sputtered. "How could you do this to me, to   
us? Don't you know what the team means to me?" Jessie was too hurt to be angry. She   
had been expecting to hear any number of names of other Rockets, but she had never   
been expecting the traitor to be her own James. How could he turn on her after all they   
had been through together... Pokemon Tech, the Bridge Bike Gang, Team Rocket, a   
million attempts to capture Pikachu, his comforts to her when she lost the princess   
festival to that little snot Misty, the way he gave up all that wealth to get back to her and   
Meowth instead of just taking a place with his family and Jessebelle... it was just   
completely unfathomable to her how or why James would do such a thing to her, to them.  
  
James just looked at her sadly. "Oh, Jessica..." he began, as Jessie realized   
James was using her full name, something anyone hardly ever did. "I'm so sorry... Of   
course I know what the team means to you... and what it means to me, but it runs deeper   
than that."   
  
Meowth was listening with great interest, despite a growing anger and resentment   
for his former partner. He had never known James to have this much of a backbone. His   
eyes flashed over to Jessie. He had been expecting nothing less than white-hot rage on her   
face, and was ready to duck the inevitable swing of her mallet that she could always seem   
to pull out of nowhere. However, this was not the case. Jessie simply sat there, stunned   
by the news, looking like an empty shell of the tough girl he had come to know.  
  
"What do you mean?" Jessie asked, not believing what was happening to her. "It   
runs deeper how?"   
  
James squirmed in his seat. "I owe it to you to tell you the truth, Jessica. For   
some time, I've.. admired you in a.... more than professional or friendly manner. I've   
never told you because... well, because I know you don't feel the same way. I mean,   
how could you? I'm such an idiot, and I always seem to mess up when you need me the   
most. That's why I've always tried to keep it a secret." Jessie stared at him with stunned   
eyes. If only she had known... if only he had known...   
  
James' voice interrupted her thoughts. "But I couldn't keep up the lie, Jessie. I   
just couldn't ... couldn't keep telling myself I didn't like you like that, that I didn't...   
love you." He paused. "Oh, I know how strange this all must sound to you, Jess. I just   
want you to know how sorry I am that it all had to end like this... I never wanted it to   
happen the way it did. But I also knew I couldn't go on like that either. And... and   
maybe it's best if we just go our separate ways for at least a while. What do you think?"  
  
Jessie wanted to cry out, to scream at James that she had felt the same way for so   
very long, to confess to him that she would have done the same thing one day, to tell   
him... everything. But she couldn't do it, no matter how hard she tried. She suddenly   
became aware of James' sad voice once again. He had lowered his head, and quietly   
said, "I understand. I'll leave you alone, Jessica.... but please, let's not let our   
friendship end forever... If I lost our friendship, I'd never forgive myself." James could   
feel the tears running down his face, and he turned to run out of the cafeteria and back to   
his quarters to be alone.  
  
Jessie and Meowth sat there stunned. Jessie simply stared ahead, hurt and   
confused. "Unbelievable." Meowth said. Jessie looked at the catlike Pokemon. Meowth   
looked back up at her, feeling pity for perhaps the first time for Jessie. For the moment,   
even his outrage at his new position as Persian's play pal seemed to have been pushed   
aside. He put his arm around Jessie's shoulder. "Ahh, it'll be all right, Jess. You two   
will be put back together when the boss realizes nobody else wants to work with you." he   
snickered.   
  
"Go away, Meowth." Jessie said softly.   
  
"Hey, Jess... I'm sorry... I was just tryin' to make you feel better..." Meowth   
began.  
  
Jessie quickly turned her head to face him. Meowth realized that she was now   
wearing the expression of rage he had been expecting. "I said go away!" she snapped   
angrily. "Now get lost before I toss you into a tank full of Gyarados!"   
  
Meowth was stunned and angered. "Maybe you deserved what happened!" he   
snapped back, and stomped out of the cafeteria, all pity for Jessie forgotten and pushed   
out of his mind by her outburst.  
  
Jessie watched the retreating form of Meowth. That was just like him...   
someone's heart is broken, and he wisecracks about it. As she fumed, she suddenly   
realized that her outburst had drawn the attention of some other agents in the cafeteria.   
Cassidy was looking at her wearing a look of shock on her face, and holding a fork with   
a bite of salad in midair. Butch was staring at her so intently that he hadn't even noticed   
that his cigarette had burned itself out in his fingers. Wyatt and Hollie, whom she had   
hardly noticed when she had walked in with James and Meowth, were both looking at her   
with a confused expression on their faces. Jessie looked around, only wanting to get out   
of there. Without a word, she got up and walked quickly to the door, ignoring the   
bewildered looks of the agents around her. Once in the hall, her eyes welled with tears   
again and she took off running for her quarters.  
  
Chapter Three - Jessie's Room  
  
Jessie arrived at the door marked with a plaque that simply read "Jessie: Agent   
Number 647". She and James, like most other agents, each had a room at the main   
Team Rocket Headquarters in Viridian City, even if they were usually out in the field and   
too busy to use it. It offered a little comfort, at least to Jessie, to have something of a   
fixed abode. Jessie quickly looked around the hall to make sure nobody was watching her,   
as tears were still in the corners of her eyes. Nobody else was in the hallway, and that   
made her feel a little better. She reached into her shirt, and pulled out a chain with a key   
on it. She inserted the key into the lock on the door, and turned it. The lock clicked,   
and she stepped into her room. She hesitated for just a second, lingering in the doorway   
as her eyes glanced over at the door across the hall with the plaque that read, "James:   
Agent Number 253". Her lip trembled as she stepped into her room and closed the door.   
Fumbling on the wall, her gloved hand found the light switch, and the room was suddenly   
illuminated.   
  
The room was a mess. It had been nearly a month since she had been in here for a   
few nights before taking off with James in the balloon again. Jessie stepped over a pile of   
dirty clothes, including some of her favorite disguises and a charred uniform (a souvenir   
of one of Pikachu's many attacks) and sat down on the pink blanket on her bed, the only   
thing she had managed to hang on to from home. She had taken it along to Pokemon   
tech, had stuffed it into her old Army backpack when she was with the Bridge Bike Gang,   
and thrown it on the bed in here when she had joined Team Rocket. It was a comfort that   
she hardly ever dared to take in the field with her, for fear that it would be burned by that   
stupid electric rat.   
  
Jessie looked around the room, and realized that she wasn't likely to find comfort   
here, as the walls were covered with pictures of her and James from various times. Some   
had them in disguise, some had them just in uniform, and there was even one of them   
both wearing bikinis. In the past, the pictures had always made her smile. Now, they   
only reminded her of what she had lost. The only picture that was of any comfort at all   
was a black and white photo of Ash holding Pikachu and grinning like an idiot. The   
picture was covered with small holes from the many darts she had chucked through it.   
Knowing that a game of darts usually relaxed her, especially when she would land one   
right between Ash's eyes, Jessie stood up and pulled the darts out of the wall. She   
reached her arm back and aimed, but couldn't throw the dart. It was as if she had no will   
to do anything left.   
  
Jessie dropped the darts and collapsed on her bed. She looked up to her bedside   
table, where a picture sat in a silver frame; her favorite picture of herself and James.   
They were both much younger, wearing their outfits from the Bridge Bike Gang. James   
was trying to look tough and mean as he leaned on a 10 speed with training wheels. Jessie   
was smirking, holding a large heavy chain at her side as she leaned against her own bike.   
  
Jessie smiled, and knew she had to do something to take her mind off her troubles.   
She reached over to a boom box on a small dresser and hit play, not knowing which CD   
she had left in there last month. As the stereo started to play and a song began, she laid   
back down and stared at the ceiling, the only part of the room with out some picture of   
James. The song began, and Jessie realized that she had left her Fiona Apple CD in the   
stereo. She had liked Fiona, a tough, dark girl not very much unlike herself from the first   
time she had ever heard one of her songs. Now, the intro to "Criminal" wafted out of   
the stereo, and Jessie closed her eyes, letting the music play and hoping she could forget   
the situation, at least for a little while.  
  
I've been a bad bad girl   
I've been careless with a delicate man   
And it's a sad sad world   
When a girl will break a boy just because she can... Jessie's eyes slowly opened   
as the meaning of the words hit her like never before.  
  
Don't you tell me to deny it   
I've done wrong and I want to suffer for my sins   
I've come to you 'cause I need guidance to be true   
And I just don't know where I can begin   
What I need is a good defense   
'Cause I'm feelin' like a criminal   
And I need to be redeemed to the one I've sinned against   
Because he's all I ever knew of love... Jessie was stunned. How could fate have   
known that it would take a song- this song- to make her see what was wrong? Jessie   
continued to stare at the ceiling, her stomach churning as she sang along to the familiar,   
and now all-to-applicable lyrics.  
  
Heaven help me for the way I am   
Save me from these evil deeds   
Before I get them done   
I know tomorrow brings the consequence at hand   
But I keep livin' this day like the next will never come   
Oh help me but don't tell me to deny it   
I've got to cleanse myself of all these lies till I'm good enough for him   
I've got a lot to lose and I'm bettin' high so I'm beggin' you   
before it ends just tell me where to begin... Jessie slowly began to smile to herself.   
The root of her problems were becoming clearer and clearer...  
  
Let me know the way before there's hell to pay   
Give me room to lay the law and let me go   
I've got to make a play to make my lover stay   
So what would an angel say?  
The devil wants to know.... Jessie suddenly sat up in her bed. She knew what she   
had to do. She had to find James and tell him the truth, tell him how she really felt.... no   
matter what happened. She couldn't go on lying to him, pretending that she didn't care at   
all. Now was the time. Jessie immediately switched the stereo off and marched to the   
door. She opened the door and peered across the hall at the closed door to James' room.   
James would be in there. Jessie was sure of it. The door was a mere ten feet away... but   
never before had anything so close seemed so far away to Jessie.  
  
Chapter Four - James' Room  
  
Jessie knew that it was now or never. Again, she looked up and down the hall,   
but saw nobody. She walked across the hall and knocked softly on James' door.   
Suddenly, she lost her nerve. Her expression cracked, and she quickly turned around to   
run back into her own room when James' door opened.   
  
"Jess?" he said.   
  
Jessie stopped and turned around, trying not to look as nervous as she was.   
James had taken off his Team Rocket uniform and was now wearing just shorts and a T-  
shirt. He looked so good like that... like just a normal person and not a world-class   
Pokemon thief. Jessie quickly shook her head. "Uh, I just wanted to- Well, I wanted   
to-" Jessie began, unable to get the words out.   
  
"Yes?" James asked, wondering what Jessie had to say, and dreaming beyond   
hope of what it might be.   
  
Jessie's face suddenly hardened. It would be easier to just take her usual way out.   
Fixing an icy glare on James' face, she continued. "I wanted to know what the hell you   
think you were doing." she said coldly.  
  
James' face got a hurt look. He had no idea what to say to this. "Jess, I   
explained why I did what I did..."  
  
Jessie's eyes narrowed. "I know your stupid, pathetic excuse, James. What I   
don't understand is why you couldn't just put your silly emotions aside... at least for me,   
and for the good of the team!" she spat.  
  
James' eyes now held a more hurt look than ever before. "Is- Is that really how   
you feel, Jessie?"  
  
"You bet it is, you simpleton! I can't believe..." Jessie paused. This was too   
much for Jessie to handle. Her heart was breaking more with every word. "Oh, James,   
of course it's not how I really feel." She sobbed, allowing herself to fully break down for   
the first time in a very long time.   
  
James reached out and held her in his arms. "Shh, shh, Jess... It's all right, It's   
OK... It'll all work out...."  
  
Jessie looked at James with tear-filled eyes. "How, James? How can it ever be all   
right? We're split up. Our team is over. Through. Finished! We're finally letting each   
other know how we feel..."  
  
James looked at her. "How we feel?" he interrupted. "You- you mean....?"   
  
Jessie looked at James. She had loved him secretly for so long, and had covered it   
up for so long, preferring to not let anyone- not even James himself- think of her as   
anything but tough as nails. Now she knew it was time to finally tell him. "Yes." she said   
quietly and simply. "James... I've- I've loved you since I met you at Pokemon Tech. I   
know I acted like I didn't , especially when we were in the Bridge Bike Gang, but I   
always did, I swear to you I did... I- I love you, James. You're so perfect for me...   
I've known it for so long, and was always too scared to tell you, and now- now it's too   
late...." She broke down sobbing in James' arms once again.   
  
James patted her gently. "Oh, Jess.... It's not too late... We'll find a way to fix   
this." he said in a soothing voice. "Come on, let's go in and sit down..." He led the way   
into his room, and they sat down together on the bed.   
  
Jessie had been in James' room a few times before, but she had never really   
noticed how similar it was to hers in some respects. Like her wall, his was also covered   
with pictures of them together- as well as a large number of pictures of just her that had   
been taken with her not being aware. There were even a few of her asleep, which James   
must have taken while just watching over her while she slept. It was so wonderful to   
realize that he felt the same way she had felt for so long. She looked at him and smiled.   
He looked deep into her eyes and smiled back, and suddenly began to lean forward.   
Jessie barely had time to realize what was happening when James suddenly kissed her   
softly on her lips and drew back slowly to look at her.  
  
Jessie was shocked. She hadn't expected it at all, and her face registered it. "Was   
that wrong?" James asked nervously, almost dreading the answer.   
  
Jessie smiled. "No. Not at all." she replied. So that was what it would be like.   
She had dreamed of that kiss for so long. She leaned toward James and wrapped her arms   
around him, kissing him back. After a few minutes, however, a realization hit her,. and   
she leaned back with a sad look on her face.   
  
"What is it, Jess?" James asked, studying her worried expression.   
  
"James, we're both meeting new partners tomorrow morning. How will we get to   
be together again?" Jessie asked.   
  
James looked back at her sadly. "I don't know."   
  
"We will, won't we?" Jessie asked James desperately.  
  
James doubted his answer before he ever said it, but he looked at Jessie with   
warmth and love in his eyes, and answered, "Yes. I'm sure of it"  
  
Chapter Five - The New Partners  
  
The next morning, Jessie and James each woke in their own rooms, and dressed   
in clean uniforms. They walked left their room at the same time, and proceeded to   
Giovanni's office to meet their new partners. They arrived at the office before long, and   
knocked. The gruff voice of Giovanni told them to come in.   
  
Jessie and James entered the office, and saw Giovanni sitting behind his desk. His   
hands were folded. "You're five minutes late." he snapped.   
  
James nervously looked at Jessie through the corner of his eye. "Sorry, Sir, just a   
little lag in getting going." Jessie said quickly.   
  
Giovanni dismissed Jessie's comment with a wave of his hand. "Yeah, yeah,   
yeah. I don't care. It's time to meet your new partners."   
  
Two agents who had been standing by the wall stepped forward. One was a young   
man of average build with short, closely cut black hair. He wore a white Team Rocket   
uniform much like James. The other was a young woman, about 19 or 20. She had long   
dirty blonde hair pulled into a tight ponytail, and wore a tight red uniform dress. James   
looked at her and couldn't believe his eyes. A Red Rocket? One of Giovanni's elite?   
What was she doing being teamed with a White Rocket? He shook off the thought as   
Giovanni's voice continued. He gestured to the boy. "Jessie, this is your new partner   
Billy. He's an expert at Fire Pokemon."  
  
Billy smiled at Jessie, hardly hiding the fact that he was staring at her curves and   
miniskirt. He stuck out his hand and grinned, a lustful, evil grin. "Hi, Jessie... I can tell   
you'll be a great partner." James was suddenly overcome with the urge to punch this guy   
in the face.  
  
Jessie simply scowled at Billy without a word and grunted a quick reply. Giovanni   
had half-expected this, and chose to ignore it. He grabbed an envelope from his desk and   
tossed it to Jessie. "Here's your mission." he said. "You're going after a trainer named   
Max Waterfield. His grandfather left him a ranch of Eevees. As you know, Eevee can be   
turned into any one of three excellent fighting Pokemon. I want you to get those Eevees   
by any means necessary."   
  
Billy nodded curtly. "Right, boss." he said quickly.  
  
Suck up, Jessie thought. She turned to leave with Billy in tow. As they crossed   
through the door, Billy suddenly gave Jessie a slap on the butt. James' mouth dropped   
wide open as he saw it happen. If Giovanni had not been there, he would have killed Billy   
on the spot.  
  
In the hallway, Jessie closed the door to the office tightly behind her and looked at   
Billy with a smile. "Oh, Billy?" she said seductively, eyeing him dreamily. Billy fell for   
it and came closer.   
  
"Yeah?" he asked in a dreamy voice.  
  
Jessie grabbed his shirt and pulled him till he was an inch away from her snarling   
face. "If you ever do that again, I'll need a new partner because I'll kill you with my bare   
hands." Billy gulped nervously. "Understood?" Jessie snapped.  
  
"Un- Understood" Billy stammered. He didn't need any other warning. This girl   
was nothing like what he was used to. Normally girls fell for him right away, but it   
looked like this one was a real ice queen. Well, maybe an expert of Fire Pokemon could   
melt that ice...  
  
Meanwhile, Giovanni was introducing James to his new partner, Annie. It turned   
out that Annie had been a Rocket since she was 12, and was now a weapons expert and a   
skilled sharpshooter. That was why she was a Red Rocket. In contrast to Billy, who had   
been all too eager to get on good terms with his new partner, Annie looked at James'   
white uniform and looked at Giovanni with an annoyed look on her face. She still spoke   
with respect in her voice, but James realized she spoke with a confidence he and Jessie   
had never had around their boss. "Sir, why am I being teamed with a White Rocket? My   
training is superior to his." James felt a bit angry, since Annie was talking like he wasn't   
even in the room, but he decided to just be quiet and listen.   
  
Giovanni looked at Annie, irritated. "You are being teamed with James because   
it's what I've ordered. I think he'll benefit from your experience. Besides, for this   
mission I need an experienced field agent and a weapons expert."  
  
"But sir... shouldn't I go with another Red Rocket? After all, my training...."   
  
"Silence!" Giovanni roared. "I've made up my mind. Are you questioning it?"  
  
"Of course not, sir." Annie replied quickly.  
  
"Good!" Giovanni snapped. "Now then, this is your mission..." he began,   
picking up another envelope off his desk. Like Jessie and Billy's mission, it involved a   
large-scale bit of Pokemon thievery. This mission involved the stealing of some   
endangered Pokemon from a ranch patrolled and guarded by a force of Officer Jennies.   
  
No wonder they need a weapons expert, James thought.  
  
No wonder he put me with a White Rocket, Annie thought. He needs someone   
expendable for something like this.  
  
Giovanni finished the briefing and dismissed them. James and Annie turned and   
walked out the door, hardly saying a word to each other as they continued down the   
hallway towards the Team Rocket Motor Pool. When they arrived, Annie signed out a   
Hummer with a large red "R" on the doors and hood, and then checked out two sniper   
rifles from the arsenal. James was amazed. He knew that Team Rocket used such   
weapons on occasion, of course, but he had never used one like this before. It just   
wasn't usually done by White Rockets. As they climbed into the vehicle with Annie   
behind the wheel, she spoke the first words she had said to James since they had met.   
  
"Now, listen up. I really don't want to be your partner. To have a red Rocket   
working with a Black Rocket is ridiculous enough, let alone a White Rocket. But since   
we don't have a choice, we might as well make the best of it. Now, The location of the   
ranch is already marked out on this map." She tossed a map that had been in the envelope   
to James. "Just navigate for me, and when we get close enough, we'll take the ranch by   
surprise. Got it?"  
  
James stared at her. This girl was worse than Jessie going through PMS. "Got it."   
He replied.  
  
Annie rolled her eyes. "All right, lets get this show on the road." She said curtly   
as she turned the key in the ignition.  
  
Out of sheer force of habit, James looked at Annie and grinned. "Prepare for   
trouble!" he said suddenly.   
  
Annie looked at him strangely. "What?" she asked, bewildered.  
  
"I said, prepare for trouble." Annie still looked confused. "It's the motto."   
James said quickly.   
  
"The motto?" Annie repeated, amazed. This guy just got weirder by the minute.   
  
"Yes!" James said, astounded that a Red Rocket didn't know a Team Rocket   
motto when she heard it. "Prepare for trouble, and make it double! To protect the world   
from devastation, to unite all peoples within our nation, to denounce..."  
  
"Shut up!" Annie snapped. "I don't have time for your idiotic poetry! We have a   
job to do!" With that, she slammed the vehicle into gear and tore out of the Motor Pool.  
  
James folded his arms across his chest and slumped in his seat angrily. Just as   
well, he thought to himself. Doing the motto without Jessie really stunk, anyway.  
  
Meanwhile, Jessie and Billy were off on their mission after a quick check for   
supplies. At least we got to keep the balloon, Jessie thought, as they lifted off.   
However, Jessie couldn't help but look up at the large head of Meowth that made up the   
balloon and realize how much she missed the rotten little fur ball. She looked over at   
Billy, who had at least laid off of the comments and grabbing, though he still stared at her   
with clear lust in his eyes. It was then that she realized James had never done such a thing,   
nor was he likely to ever do that. He truly respected her, not like this pig. She just   
avoided eye contact with him as much as possible, and kept her eyes on the ground   
passing underneath them.   
  
Sadly, she remembered how many times she and James and Meowth had shared   
this balloon, how many times they had watched the ground go by together, how often   
they had watched the sun rise and set from the sky. It was like their private world where   
any magical thing could happen. Now, she was the only original inhabitant of that world   
left, and the new residents were anything but promising. Billy stared at her, leaning   
against his side of the basket. At his feet, his Flareon slept lazily. When they had lifted   
off, she had almost expected it to start talking like Meowth, but it had just laid down and   
yawned. Oh, how she missed James! And now he was somewhere out there, teamed   
with a Red Rocket of all things. If only she had a way to get back to him. No, she   
thought to herself. I will get back to James. I know I will. There's no way I couldn't get   
back to him.  
  
Jessie's thoughts were interrupted by Billy. "Penny for your thoughts, babe?"   
  
Jessie turned to face Billy, annoyed. "Don't call me babe." She snapped   
angrily.  
  
"OK, OK, Sorry, Jessie." Billy said quickly. "I was just wondering what could   
be worrying someone as pretty as you."  
  
Jessie shot an icy look at him. This guy just never quit. "None of your business."   
She said coldly.  
  
Billy looked at her, annoyed. "Look, Jessie, I am your partner. I know we got   
off to a rough start. and I'm sorry, by the way. But if we're gonna be partners, you've   
got to trust me and know you can talk to me."  
  
Jessie maintained her icy look. "Apology noted." She said curtly. "But forget it   
about me talking to you anytime soon. I don't trust people easy."  
  
Billy shot a look of disgust at her. She would hardly be worth the trouble of   
thawing out, even if it could be done. He folded his arms across his chest. "No wonder   
your old partner dumped you." He muttered.  
  
Jessie's eyes flashed with rage. "What did you just say?!?" she spat.  
  
"Oh you know, your old partner, that James guy. the one who turned in   
reports to the boss so he wouldn't have to be stuck with you anymore."  
  
"You don't know James!" Jessie screamed, shaking with anger. "Don't presume   
to tell me why he did what he did!"   
  
"Oh, I can see why he did it, all right." Billy continued arrogantly. "You know,   
when I met you, I figured he had to be gay or something. You know, half of Team   
Rocket is sure he is. But now I know that even if he is gay, he only dumped you to get   
rid of you. You're just a nagging pain in the butt."  
  
Jessie's eyes flashed. "Just shut up!" she roared, tears welling up in the corners   
of her eyes.   
  
Billy smiled coldly. Some ice queen, he thought to himself. It'd be easier to   
break her than he had thought. She'd be eating out of his hand in a week. "Oh, like   
you'd do anything if I don't" he replied smugly, again folding his arms across his chest   
and leaning against the side of the basket.   
  
Jessie glared at him with eyes full of hate. "Oh, no?" she asked.  
  
"Nope." Billy replied. "Not a damn thing."  
  
Jessie silently reached into the corner of the balloon and picked up a familiar   
object. Her hands wrapped around the handle of her mallet and she shot daggers at Billy.  
  
"Ooohhh, big girl." Billy said tauntingly. "And what are you gonna do with that?   
Build me a house?"  
  
Jessie was disgusted. Filled with anger, she picked up the mallet and said quickly,   
"No. This." She swung the mallet in a wide arc, hitting Billy in the side of the head.   
Unlike James, who was used to such things and able to recover quickly, Billy was totally   
unprepared for the blow, and tumbled over the side of the basket, falling to the ground   
below with a scream. He landed on his legs, breaking both of them nicely.   
  
Jessie didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt as she leaned over the side of the basket   
and called to Billy, "Did you see that one coming, Billy boy?"  
  
On the floor of the basket, Flareon woke up and realized that Billy was gone. It   
looked over the edge with a questioning look, and saw Billy on the ground below angrily   
sobbing. Jessie eyed the Pokemon nervously. Was it going to attack her for hurting its   
master? Flareon looked at Jessie, than back down at Billy, and decided that the whole   
thing wasn't worth getting excited over. It did the closest thing to a shrug that it could   
manage and went back to sleep.   
  
Below, Billy called to Jessie, "Well, don't just leave me!"   
  
"I won't !" Jessie called to him. "I'll tell the boss to send someone for you.   
sooner or later."  
  
The balloon continued to fly as Jessie redirected it back to headquarters.  
  
  
Chapter Six - James and the Red Rocket  
  
The Hummer came to an abrupt stop. "All right." Annie said to James. "We're   
close enough to the perimeter of the ranch for me to leave the car and just go in on foot."   
She reached to the seat behind her and pulled the two sniper rifles up to the front. She   
loaded and checked one, and handed it to James.   
  
"Now, how do I use this thing?" James asked, holding the weapon and looking   
confused.  
  
"You don't." Annie responded. "You only have that so my tail is covered.   
Unless I'm in danger and you have to, you do not fire that thing. Understand?"  
  
James nodded. Annie wondered if he really understood. She rolled her eyes as she   
started to load the second rifle. He was cute enough, but he was so pathetic. Oh,   
Giovanni would regret teaming the two of them. She could feel it. She clicked the bolt   
into place on the rifle and checked the accuracy and alignment of the aiming scope. James   
watched as Annie's well-trained mind reviewed the gun, and couldn't help but notice that   
she was checking hers much more thoroughly than she had checked his.  
  
Satisfied that her gun was ready, she pointed to a steel box by James' feet. "Get   
that, will you?" she said. James reached down and lifted the box to his lap. He opened   
the lid to reveal 10 gray Pokeballs and a silver box the size of a pack of cigarettes. Annie   
reached in and started to load the balls into a small canvas bag she had with her.   
  
"Why are these Pokeballs gray?" James asked curiously.  
  
Annie looked at him, amazed at how little he knew, even for a White Rocket.   
"They're the latest from Team Rocket Scientists." She replied, with the tone of someone   
explaining something to a child. "They're called Mega Balls, and they can catch up to   
five Pokemon at a time." Annie thought that everyone in Team Rocket had been told   
about the Mega Balls, but she guessed this guy must have not been on the briefing list.   
  
"Five Pokemon at once?" James repeated.  
  
"That's right." Annie said. For a second, an image of Meowth completing the   
motto flashed through James' mind. "They were designed for jobs like this, where we   
have to catch a lot of Pokemon at once. They also have a special feature where they   
return to who threw them after they close. You just have to activate this transmitter." She   
said, pressing a small button on the silver box and tossing it into her bag with the Mega   
Balls.  
  
James was impressed. "Of course," Annie continued, "They'd never be legal by   
the Pokemon League, those pansies. That's why I'm in Team Rocket. All the Pokemon   
and adventure you want, and no big league official telling you what you can and can't   
do." Annie shook her head to clear it. "Now, I should be able to get right up to the outer   
fence of the yard on my own before being spotted by those Jennies. I'll throw out the   
Mega Balls, they'll get the Pokemon and come back to me, and I'll get back here."  
  
"What do I do?" James asked.   
  
"Keep the motor running." Annie replied. "And cover me. You have a good   
range on that gun. When the Mega Balls go, the Jennies will notice. They'd have to be   
blind and deaf not to. When they do, they'll go on full alert, and I won't have a lot of   
time to get out. If you see me in trouble, start shooting at the Jennies. Don't worry   
about me, I can dodge bullets with the best of them, but you should be able to drop at   
least a few Jennies. Got it?"  
  
James couldn't believe it. He had to risk killing someone? He and Jessie had   
always joked about killing Ash and those twerps, but he had never dreamed that he would   
really do it some day. His body went numb, but he was somehow able to nod that he   
understood.   
  
Annie grimaced. She wasn't at all sure that this would work. She climbed out of   
the Hummer and started to quietly advance towards the outer fence. James watched her   
progress through his binoculars after starting the motor. Finally, Annie was near the   
fence, and she stood up and cautiously looked around. There were a number of Jennies   
all patrolling the yard, on the lookout for Pokemon poachers, but they hadn't spotted her   
yet. What a bunch of morons, Annie thought. She reached into her bag and pulled out   
five of the Mega Balls. Without a word, she threw them into the ranch. They opened   
with a bright flash of light as Annie threw in the other five Mega Balls, and took off   
running.   
  
A Jenny blew her whistle, and started yelling at the top of her voice, "Poacher   
near the east fence! They have Mega Balls, repeat, they have Mega Balls! All officers   
report!"   
  
Annie ran back to the Hummer as the Mega Balls, following the signal of Annie's   
transmitter, flew threw the air between her and the Jennies. "Stop!" yelled the Jennies as   
they gave chase.  
  
Annie was getting near the Hummer now. "James!" she yelled. "Fire a warning   
shot! Shoot above their heads!" James picked up the rifle, completely unsure of how to   
use it. Before he could try to figure it out, the gun accidentally fired a shot when James'   
finger slipped on the trigger. The bullet flew through the air, and James heard a scream   
from Annie. James immediately threw his gun down, ceratin he had killed Annie. He   
slumped down in the seat of the Hummer.   
  
Just then, Annie yanked open the door and jumped behind the wheel. James   
looked at her, amazed. She wasn't hurt at all, but she seemed mad. James decided to   
not ask why until they were safe. Suddenly, he realized that the Jennies were not after   
them any more. Annie angrily jammed the car into gear and took off at high speed.   
  
It wasn't till a few minutes later, when they were safely away, when James   
thought to ask what had happened. When he did, Annie slammed on the brakes and sent   
James flying.  
  
"You want to know what happened?!?!?" Annie screamed. I'll tell you, you   
idiot! I told you to fire a warning shot, and you fired right at me!"   
  
James looked confused. "But you aren't hurt, and I heard you scream." he said.   
  
Annie shot a cold look at him, and threw her canvas bag at him. "Of course I'm   
not hurt. I told you I could dodge it. But look at what you did do!"  
  
James looked, and realized there was a bullet hole in the bag. Inside, the small   
silver transmitter sparked. The bullet had ripped through it and destroyed it.   
  
"Without the signal to follow, the Mega Balls just dropped to the ground. Those   
stupid Jennies got all 50 of their endangered Pokemon back, and we got nothing!" Annie   
spat.   
  
Annie was seething, and James decided it would be best to not risk angering her   
further by saying something. He sat back as Annie started driving again, heading back to   
headquarters. He stared out the window at the scenery going by, and desperately wished   
he was back with Jessie and Meowth.  
  
Chapter Seven - The Night  
  
That night, James knocked on the door to Jessie's quarters. Jessie opened the   
door wearing a thin pink nightgown, obviously not expecting company. "Oh, I'm sorry,   
Jess... I didn't mean to barge in on you if you were going to bed..." James began.  
  
Jessie smiled. Oh, It was such a breath of fresh air to be talked to with respect   
and not eyed as a piece of meat by Billy. "Oh, no, James... please, come in... I really   
want to talk to you." James followed Jessie into the room, and looked around at all the   
photos on the wall. He had never realized that Jessie had such a collection. Jessie crossed   
over to her bed, and patted the space next to her for James.   
  
James walked over and sat down, giving Jessie a quick kiss as he did. "So how's   
your new partner?" he asked.  
  
Jessie smiled coldly. "Let's say he had a run-in with my ever so famous temper."   
  
James chuckled. "Really?"  
  
Jessie told him the story from start to finish; her remembering him, Billy's taunts   
and clear lust, the way she knocked him out of the balloon with her mallet and he had   
broken his legs. "Of course, I told the boss he fell accidentally." Jessie said with a grin.   
"The boss wants to see me again tomorrow morning."  
  
James got a thoughtful look on his face. "Same here."   
  
Jessie looked at James nervously. She had been afraid to ask him what she was   
about to ask him. After all, Annie had been pretty, especially in that tight red dress...   
She shook off these thoughts and asked him, "So, how's your new partner? That Red   
Rocket?"  
  
"Annie?" James said. "I don't think she's very fond of me right now." He told   
her his story, about how Annie hadn't wanted to be teamed with him in the first place,   
how she didn't care at all about the motto, how he managed to botch the mission, and   
how as soon as they got back, Annie had gone to see the boss. "So now I have to report   
back in the morning too." James finished. He looked down, worried. "I just wish I knew   
what was going to happen. I missed you in the field, Jess."  
  
Jessie smiled at him as her eyes got misty. "I missed you too, James. You were   
all I could think about when I was up in the balloon. Well... you and Meowth."  
  
James grinned. "You miss that dimwit too?"   
  
Jessie nodded with a smile. James put his arms around Jessie. "We'll be back   
together sometime, Jess. I know we will." he said.  
  
Jessie closed her eyes and rested her head on James' chest, extremely content.   
After a minute, she sat up and looked at James. He was still wearing his uniform.   
"James?" she said quietly.  
  
"Yes?"   
  
"Will you do something for me?" she asked, feeling foolish.  
  
"Anything." James replied. He had never meant anything so much in all his life.  
  
"Will you take your gloves off and just hold me with your own hands? It was the   
greatest feeling in the world when you did it in your room, and I want to feel that again."   
She looked at him, half expecting him to laugh at her request.   
  
Instead, James simply smiled and wordlessly removed his black gloves. Jessie   
reached forward and gently, slowly, lifted his white uniform top shirt off of him. "This   
too." she whispered. James was now wearing just his white pants, black boots, and a   
tight black T-shirt. Jessie had never realized just how muscular his arms were. She   
became very aware of it as he held her, gently caressing her arms with his bare hands.   
Jessie closed her eyes and relished every moment of it.   
  
This was the most intimate moment she had ever had the pleasure of sharing with   
someone. Oh, she had done her share of playing around, especially during delinquent   
pre-Pokemon Tech days and her time in the Sunnytown Bridge Bike Gang... but none of   
it had ever meant this much or been so romantic or special. James loved her for who she   
was, not for how good she looked in her halter and miniskirt. It was this knowledge that   
made Jessie the happiest as she and James laid down together on her bed a half hour later   
and drifted off to a wonderful, dreamy sleep together. They stayed that way through the   
night: Jessie laying half on top of James in her thin pink nightgown, James in his white   
pants and black T-shirt softly breathing and holding her with his wonderful, warm, strong   
hands.  
  
Chapter Eight - Reunited?  
  
Morning came with the sound of Jessie's alarm clock ringing and bouncing on her   
bedside table. Reflexively, Jessie reached over and slapped the stop switch. She then   
looked back at her bed. She had almost been expecting to wake up alone, as if the events   
of the previous night were just a dream, but just a glance proved her wrong. James was   
still laying in her bed, wearing the clothes he had fallen asleep in, and he was murmuring   
something. Jessie moved in closer, and realized he was talking about her in his sleep.   
  
"Mmmm, Jessie... so beautiful.... must stay with her... must stay...." he said   
dreamily.  
  
Jessie smiled, and just looked at James, taking in every wonderful detail of him.   
His parents and Jessebelle had been so wrong. They had aimed to turn him into a proper   
gentleman.... but how could you turn someone into what they already were? Idly, she   
looked at her alarm clock and realized that she only had 45 minutes before she was due to   
report to the boss. Knowing she would regret it, she shook James gently to wake him up.   
  
James came to slowly, and the room came into focus around him. For a minute,   
he didn't even remember where he was, but as soon as he saw Jessie he knew. "Good   
morning, Jess." he said with a smile.  
  
Jessie returned the smile. "Good morning, James." she said. "I'm sorry I have to   
rush, but I have to see the boss in 45 minutes."   
  
James ran his fingers through his blue hair, and looked at the clock. His face   
registered surprise. "You do?" he asked. "So do I."  
  
Jessie's ears perked up at this. "He wants to see us together?" she asked.   
  
"I guess." James replied.  
  
A glimmer of hope began in Jessie's mind. "Do you think..." she began.  
  
James put his finger on her lips. There was no need to let her finish. "I hope so."   
he said in reply. "Well, I'd better get ready. I'll see you there." James stood up to   
leave, scooping up his white shirt and gloves. Jessie looked at him for a minute as he did   
this, and suddenly realized he had tucked his clothes under his arm and was walking   
toward her. He stopped in front of her, and looked into her eyes. Closing his eyes, he   
leaned in to kiss her again. Jessie closed her eyes as well, and melted into the kiss. James   
broke away after a minute, and smiled at her. "See you in 40 minutes." he said. He took   
off through the door, and headed back into his room across the hall.   
  
Less than an hour later, Jessie and James were standing at attention in Giovanni's   
office, as they had done so many times before. In one corner, Meowth sat, gloomily   
knocking a ball back and forth to Persian, who swiped at the ball, purring loudly.   
  
Giovanni glared at the two from behind his desk. "I don't believe it." he said.   
"You two mess up everything, even when you're not together. Jessie, you don't even   
get to where you're going when your partner falls out of the balloon and breaks his legs!   
You have to be the biggest jinx I've ever known!"   
  
Giovanni turned to face James. "And you." he continued angrily. "We find the   
best poaching opportunity possible, put a flawless plan into action with excellent Rocket   
technology, and you still screw it up!" He folded his arms across his chest. "I've come   
to a conclusion. You two lab rats can do far less damage to Team Rocket by just staying   
together. At least that way, you only jinx each other, not competent agents like Billy and   
Annie. Whom, I might add, both swear they will never work with either one of you two   
again!"  
  
Jessie fought the urge to break out into a smile. "Sir, does that mean that..."  
  
"You two are a team again." Giovanni growled.   
  
Jessie and James smiled widely. "Oh, thank you, sir.. thank you so much!"   
James gushed.  
  
Giovanni looked confused. "But you're the one who didn't want to be with her in   
the first place!" he said, dumbfounded.  
  
"Well-, I, er- changed my mind." James said quickly. "Oh thank you... thank-"  
  
Giovanni raised his hand. "All right, fine. Just shut up."  
  
"Um, sir?" Jessie said humbly.  
  
"What now?" Giovanni snapped, getting more and more annoyed by the second.  
  
"Does this mean we get Meowth back as well?" she asked. Meowth's ears perked   
up. He waited tensely.  
  
Giovanni considered the request, scratching his chin as he did. "Fine." he replied.   
"He can go with you. After all, someone needs to keep you two in check." He looked   
down at the floor. "Meowth! You're with these two again!"   
  
Meowth leapt off the floor with joy. "Yes!" he screamed. "I am outta here! So   
long, Persian!" he said mockingly. The Persian growled at him. It then padded over to   
Giovanni and hopped into his lap.  
  
"So, we're off after Pikachu, then?" Jessie asked.  
  
"Absolutely not!" Giovanni snapped. Jessie and James were stunned. "Butch and   
Cassidy are handling that mission!"   
  
At that moment, Giovanni's intercom buzzed. Irritated, he pushed the button.   
"What?" he barked.  
  
"Sir, Butch and Cassidy are here to see you." the intercom crackled.  
  
Giovanni smiled coldly. "Send them up." he let go of the button and looked at   
Jessie and James. "Speak of the devils." he said. "No doubt they're bringing me Pikachu.   
Now you two can see how competent agents work."  
  
Giovanni's door flew open, and Butch and Cassidy marched in, looking very   
angry. Cassidy's long pony tails were scorched, their uniforms were charred and smoking,   
and they most definitely did not have Pikachu with them. Jessie, James and Meowth   
backed up with out a word.   
  
Giovanni's satisfied expression fell. "What in the name of Kabuto happened to   
you two?" he asked, amazed.  
  
Obviously very angry, Butch slammed his hands down on the desk and leaned   
towards Giovanni. "That blasted electric rat happened." he snapped in his raspy voice.   
Cassidy was fuming as well, though she wasn't quite brave or suicidal enough to   
get in Giovanni's face like Butch. "We got thunder-shocked about 50 times in the past   
two days!"   
  
"That thing is crazy, and only the biggest idiot would want to go chasing after it!"   
Butch stated.   
  
Giovanni glared at him. "Get off my desk!" he roared. Butch instantly leapt back,   
suddenly remembering his fear of the boss. "Now what is this nonsense? Are you telling   
me you two are refusing the Pikachu mission?" he snapped.  
  
Butch and Cassidy both folded their arms. "Give us any other job, but not that. If   
you give us that job, we are quitting Team Rocket!"  
  
Giovanni leaned back in his chair smugly. "The penalty for quitting is death." he   
said flatly.  
  
This did not faze Butch or Cassidy in the least. "We know. We don't care!"   
snapped Cassidy.  
  
Knowing he was stuck, Giovanni decided to just give up. "Fine. You two are on   
something else. Now go change into a uniform that doesn't look like it was pulled out of   
an incinerator!"   
  
Butch and Cassidy smiled with obvoius relief, and turned to leave without a word.  
  
"Great." Giovanni said to himself. "Now nobody is going to want the Pikachu   
mission. They'd have to be total and complete idiots to..." he stopped and looked at   
Jessie and James. Suddenly, he broke into an icy smile. "All right, you two are back on   
the mission. Try getting it right for a change." he barked at the team.  
  
Jessie, James, and Meowth all broke into large smiles. "Oh, thank you, thank   
you, thank-"  
  
"GET GOING!" Giovanni roared. The three team mates hurried out of the office,   
stopping the hallway to hug each other. Meowth danced around happily as Jessie and   
James stared into each other's eyes and smiled, finally leaning in for a kiss.  
  
EPILOGUE...THREE DAYS LATER  
  
Jessie, James, and Meowth were crouching in the bushes. They heard the voices   
of Ash, Misty, and Brock getting closer. "Steady.... steady...." Meowth said softly.   
"Here they come...."  
  
James looked at Jessie and smiled. "I missed this." he whispered.  
  
Jessie smiled back. "Me too." she whispered back.   
  
"Now!" Meowth hissed. He tossed a smoke bomb into the clearing, and the trio   
jumped into place as the smoke cloud spread out.   
  
"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie said loudly.  
  
"Make it double!" James said in reply.  
  
As they recited the motto together once again, Ketchum and Company rolled their   
eyes and readied themselves for another battle. In the back of their minds, Jessie and   
James knew they probably wouldn't capture Pikachu today, tomorrow, or anytime soon,   
but it didn't matter.   
  
All that mattered anymore was that they kept on trying.... together.  
  
THE END  



	2. Criminal: Deleted Scene

From the Cutting Room Floor: Criminal  
  
By Allan North  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a scene that I had considered writing for Criminal, but had   
decided that it wouldn't really fit in the story. However, my own writer's drive has   
gotten me to thinking about it, and I wanted to write it just for the heck of it. This scene   
begins at the end of Chapter Eight: Reunited Also, the tense is different from the rest of   
the story, with this scene being written from James' POV.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
I was ecstatic. Never had I been so blessedly happy to hear Giovanni's voice   
grunt out an order like that… "Get going!" oh, the words had been a wonderful thing to   
hear… for they had symbolized a new era for Jessie and I. An era where our partnership   
had been renewed, our strength restored, and our attraction no longer a secret. All these   
thoughts and more flooded through my mind as I kissed Jessie there in the hall, loving   
the feeling of her in my arms. When the kiss broke, we gazed into each other's eyes,   
and I knew that she had felt the same as I about the kiss.   
  
Meowth's voice brought us back to the present. "All right youse two, we better   
get back to woik."  
  
Jessie glared at our cat like friend, but smiled anyway. "You always know how   
to kill a moment, don't you, Meowth?" she said in a mildly annoyed tone. Meowth   
simply folded his arms and smirked.   
  
"It's a rare talent." He replied.  
  
Jessie produced her paper fan from nowhere and smacked Meowth on the head.   
She sighed. "I suppose he's right. Come on, James, we've got work to do."  
  
I looked at Jessie and smiled as Meowth rubbed his head and glared at the two of   
us. "I'll meet you in the motor pool in about 20 minutes, Jessie."  
  
Jessie looked at me with confused eyes. "Why 20 minutes?" she asked.  
  
I smiled at her. "There's something I need to do." I replied simply.   
  
Jessie's smile dimmed slightly, but quickly returned. "All right." She said. "I'll   
see you in 20 minutes." She and Meowth then turned and began to walk to the motor   
pool, ready to fill the balloon with supplies and take off to find that rotten little Pikachu.   
  
I waited and watched as they left, Meowth cracking suggestive jokes about the   
two of us all the way, until they turned a corner and were out of sight. There was   
someone in Team Rocket I had to talk to before we left….   
  
It didn't take me long to get to where I was going. I was outside the Team   
Infirmary in a matter of four minutes. I walked in through the frosted glass doors and   
walked past the desk where the chief nurse, a corrupt Joy wearing a black leather version   
of the typical outfit of a Joy with a small red "R" in the corner, sat quietly flipping   
through patient's charts. I walked by her, simply muttering that I was there to visit   
someone. She obviously couldn't have cared less, and waved me through with hardly a   
glance. I walked through another door and looked at the rows of hospital style beds,   
most of which were empty. Various Rockets occupied some of the beds, and I silently   
reflected on how lucky Jessie and I must be to have never wound up in here no matter   
how many times we had blasted off. At the end of the row on the left side, I saw the   
Rocket I was there to visit. It had to be him… the only one in the whole room with both   
legs in traction.   
  
As I ran over my brief history with him, I steeled myself to give the impression I   
wanted to give. I was still overcome with the urge to punch him, but knew I couldn't in   
this place, at this time. Perhaps someday, but not now… Now was a time for a more   
contained meeting. I walked to his bedside and saw he was engrossed in an issue of   
Pokemon Trainers Exxxposed, a well-known dirty magazine that consisted mainly of…   
photos of female trainers. It took him a minute to realize I was even there.   
  
"Billy Weston?" I asked.  
  
Billy lowered his magazine to look at me, obviously not remembering who I was.   
"Yeah?"  
  
"My name's James… James Morgan?" Now the recognition clicked.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Randwhyte's old partner. You were smart to get out of that team."   
He said nastily.  
  
My stomach churned with distaste "Why's that?" I asked, feigning ignorance of   
what he meant.  
  
"She's a bitch. A dangerous, nasty, psychotic terror." Billy said arrogantly.  
  
"I know what you mean." I said, hardly able to get the words out even if I was   
lying. "I heard you had an accident with her." In my mind, Jessie's full account of the   
details burned as I pictured the scene in the balloon in my mind's eye.  
  
"An accident!?" Billy snarled. "I'm sure that's what she'd like people to believe."  
  
"What do you mean?" I asked innocently.   
  
"She did this to me! Knocked me outta the balloon on purpose!" he yelled.  
  
I want to smile so badly. I hold it back, faking concern for this slime.   
"Goodness. Why would she do that?"  
  
Billy looks around for a second. "Wanna know the truth?"  
  
Intrigued to see what he'll come up with, I nod.   
  
Billy lowers his voice. "I think she's gay." He replies.   
  
The laughter is so hard to hold back. "Why do you say that?" I ask.  
  
"Well, I was only trying to start something up with her… you know, it's a great   
way to relate to your partner… but I guess you wouldn't know about that."  
  
My reaction is changing from amusement to rage. "Why not?" I say, my hand   
fighting the urge to ball into a fist.  
  
"Well, you're gay yourself, aren't you?" Billy asks, obviously not caring if he's   
offending me.  
  
Inwardly, I roll my eyes. If Jessie and I had a nickel for every time some agent   
has asked THAT question about me… So many people wonder if I am from my dressing   
and my ways, but they just don't understand…. I redirect my attention to Billy. "Nope.   
Never have been."  
  
Billy looks disappointed, as if he had a bet riding with someone on the question.   
"Really. Huh. Well, I guess you were just smart enough to just never start anything with   
her, huh?"  
  
Silently, I regret what he has mentioned. "I guess." I reply.  
  
"Like I said, you're smart. I mean, look what happened to me. I pity the poor   
guy who gets stuck with her next."  
  
I look at him now with a concealed smile. "Actually, the Boss has put me and   
Jessie back together."  
  
Billy looks at me with a mix of amusement and concern. "Be afraid. Be very   
afraid. That's all I have to say." He replies darkly.  
  
I'm about to reply when the corrupt Joy comes up behind me. "Scuse me, but I   
gotta change Agent Weston's dressing." She says to me.   
  
"All right." I reply. "I'll just be a minute."  
  
The Joy nods and looks at Billy, noticing his magazine. "Weston, what have I   
told you about reading that stuff in here?" she asks.  
  
Billy smiles, a nasty, lust-filled smile, the smile I can imagine him giving Jessie   
in the balloon. "Sorry, toots." He says, flashing the Joy a seductive look. "Hey, how   
about a sponge bath later?"  
  
Joy looks at Billy with mild annoyance mixed with a return of mild lust. "We'll   
see." She coos as she walks away to get the fresh dressing for the wound under the   
window on Billy's cast.  
  
"You spring right back, don't you?" I ask.   
  
Billy grins at me. "Can't keep me down. Besides, have you gotten a good look at   
that Joy? Much hotter than her cousins… especially with that uniform…"  
  
I return the grin, not meaning it in the least. As far as I'm concerned, the two   
weirdos deserve each other. "Yeah. Well, listen, I gotta go."  
  
Billy looks at me. "Good luck. I mean that."  
  
"Thanks. Oh, and by the way, Jessie's not gay, she just has a little problem." I   
say lightly.  
  
"Yeah? What's that?" Billy asks.  
  
I lower my voice to a growl, and my complacent smile vanishes to leave a look of   
anger and disgust. "She's allergic to pigs." I snarl.  
  
Billy is stunned into speechlessness. He looks at me with confused eyes.  
  
My smile returns as I straighten up to leave. "Anyway, sorry about your bad   
luck. Feel better, man." I say, sarcasm dripping in my voice. I turn to leave and look at   
Billy again, pointing my finger at him and clicking my tongue. "Feel better." I say   
again as I slap his cast hard, but not hard enough to be noticeable to the Joy.  
  
Billy howls in pain from the slap on his cast as I walk out of the infirmary, my   
hands in my pockets and a smile on my face.  
  
A few minutes later, I am in the motor pool helping Jessie and Meowth into the   
balloon as Mondo holds the release lever, ready to pull it and let the balloon go drifting   
away through the large doors and out into the world again.   
  
"So what was it you needed to do, anyway?" Jessie asks me.   
  
I signal to Mondo, and he pulls the lever, releasing the balloon and waving   
excitedly. "Bye, Master James! Bye, Miss Jessie! Bye, Master Meowth!" he calls.   
"Good luck!"  
  
"I smile at him as we drift out the doors and up. It takes a minute for Jessie to   
say something. "James?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"You never answered me. What was it you had to do?" she asks.  
  
"Oh, nothing." I reply. "Just had to visit a sick… agent."  
  
Jessie smiles. "I see." She says simply. Somehow, I can sense she knows   
exactly what I did. I put my arm around her, and she leans into me as we fly away from   
Viridian, once again searching for those twerps from above.   
  
As we fly away into the distance, I am not sure if I really hear it or not, but I'd   
bet anything I hear a barely audible whisper from her lips, saying to me quietly,   
"Thanks."  
  
I smile and squeeze her tightly. I'm home.  



End file.
